The winter seemed to stretch on endlessly, but in the blink of an eye, it vanished without a trace. The vast wilderness changed into new garments overnight.

Zhong Changrong stood on the fortress wall, listening to his officers speak while accepting a map from his guard. Below, troops constantly galloped in and out.

“General Zhong,” a scout called out as he reined in his horse, “Commander Xie has returned.”

Zhong Changrong tossed the map to his officers: “That rascal, why is he so slow?”

The officers, all trusted confidants who knew what Xie Yanlai had gone to do, were equally pleased.

“Slow? It feels like he’s returned in the blink of an eye,” one counted on his fingers. “Did he even manage to see the Empress?”

Zhong Changrong suddenly felt it had been too quick as well.

“Has that wretched boy been lazy and didn’t go at all?” he said angrily, stomping down from the city wall. “I’ll go ask him myself.”

He couldn’t wait for Xie Yanlai to come report to him.

However, even though Zhong Changrong came personally, he couldn’t see Xie Yanlai—he was bathing.

“What are you bathing for!” Zhong Changrong stood in the room, scolding through the door curtain. “It’s not like you’re preparing to be a bridegroom. You noble family young masters, just full of bad habits.”

A lazy voice came from behind the curtain: “Indeed, we noble family young masters have many bad habits. Not only do I need to bathe, but I also need to eat—” he raised his voice to call his guard, “Little Mountain, bring my food quickly.”

The personal guard Little Mountain, standing outside the door, cheerfully acknowledged.

“General, don’t be impatient,” he said to Zhong Changrong. “Our young master took a shortcut and got covered in weeds and dirt. He really can’t present himself without washing up.”

Personal guard Little Mountain had been selected by Zhong Changrong himself to serve Xie Yanlai, but listening to him now, constantly saying “our young master,” one might mistake him for a servant born into the Xie household.

Zhong Changrong glared at Little Mountain: “Who cares what he looks like?”

Little Mountain just grinned without arguing and turned to leave. “I’ll go hurry the kitchen with the food, make sure it’s not too hot, not too cold, not too salty—”

Zhong Changrong cursed him for being a bootlicker, then cursed Xie Yanlai behind the curtain: “What have you turned a good child into?”

“Stop nagging like a gossipy woman,” Xie Yanlai said lazily from inside. “You didn’t come to see me anyway. She wrote you a letter. It’s on the table, take a look.”

A letter! Zhong Changrong didn’t bother to argue about being called a gossipy woman and hurriedly searched the table. It was a mess—belts, leather pouches, and filthy clothes piled on top. Zhong Changrong pushed them off and threw them on the floor, finally seeing two letters and a paper package.

The letters had names written on them. Zhong Changrong sat down and opened the one addressed to him, diving into it like a fish into water, reading contentedly.

The letter wasn’t long, but it clearly explained what had happened and what was to come, including the arrangements for Mu Mian Hong. Zhong Changrong felt bittersweet, pleased yet wanting more—

His gaze swept across the table to the other letter.

“Why did she write to you too?” he said. “Didn’t you meet her in person? What would she need to write to you about? Let me see what she wrote.”

With that, he picked up the letter, but before he could open it, the curtain was thrown back and someone rushed out like the wind—

Zhong Changrong’s vision blurred as water splashed his face, and the letter was snatched from his hand.

“You damned boy!” he cursed, wiping the water from his face to see Xie Yanlai wrapped around his lower body, dripping wet as if he’d just jumped out of the bathtub. “What’s wrong with you!”

Xie Yanlai pressed a towel against himself with one hand while holding the letter with the other: “How can you read someone else’s letter? Don’t you know military regulations?”

Military regulations did forbid opening others’ letters—Zhong Changrong thought, but then slapped the table: “A letter from A-Zhao is hardly—”

“A-Zhao is the Empress,” Xie Yanlai said with raised eyebrows. “Can an Empress’s orders be casually read?”

With that, he took the letter and rushed back to the inner chamber like a gust of wind.

Zhong Changrong was still stunned: “The Empress’s orders—”

Before he could finish, Xie Yanlai dashed out again and grabbed the small paper package from the table—

“And what’s that?” Zhong Changrong shouted with wide eyes.

The curtain swayed, and Xie Yanlai’s voice came from inside: “My dessert.”

Zhong Changrong was bewildered: “Who cares about your dessert? I’m not a child.” Then he slapped the table again, “You even had time to buy dessert? What did you go there for anyway?”

From inside came the young man’s humming: “Having finally left this hellhole of a border prefecture for the King of Zhongshan’s city, of course I had to enjoy some good shopping and dining.”

Zhong Changrong gave a cold laugh but didn’t mind. He knew this boy just liked to say irritating things, but knew his limits when it came to actions. He certainly wouldn’t have gone shopping and drinking.

He sat at the table and could only reread the letter in his hand to satisfy himself while waiting for Xie Yanlai to dress and come out.

“What did A-Zhao write to you?” Zhong Changrong asked again, holding out his letter. “Come on, let’s exchange and see. Perhaps there’s some information missing.”

Xie Yanlai ignored him completely: “Her Majesty the Empress arranges things freely and won’t miss anything. Do you not trust Her Majesty?”

Of course, he trusted A-Zhao, but still—Zhong Changrong stroked his chin, wondering what she could have to say to this boy. He glanced at Xie Yanlai, the young man fresh from his bath, his profile sharp as if carved by a knife, water droplets still glistening on it, how could he look anything but annoying!

“You saw A-Zhao, what did she say?” he asked irritably.

Xie Yanlai replied: “Nothing much.”

Zhong Changrong grew angrier: “How could she have said nothing? What did you do then?”

Xie Yanlai made a sound: “Me? I slept.”

Zhong Changrong’s eyes widened: “Slept? You went all that way just to sleep?”

Xie Yanlai said: “I was very tired from the journey. When I saw her, knew she was safe, and received the letter, naturally I went to sleep.”

Zhong Changrong flung his sleeve and stood up: “What use are you!” He took the letter and stomped out.

Xie Yanlai raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips, collapsing onto the bed with the letter in one hand and the dessert package in the other. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide. Looking at the tent ceiling, he frowned again.

He didn’t understand why he had fallen asleep!

Having finally seen her, and after exchanging just a few words, he had fallen asleep!

Yes, he was tired, but not that tired!

It was probably because Chu Zhao had been chattering beside him, and he might have fallen asleep out of annoyance. What had she been talking about then? He’d fallen asleep and didn’t hear. Perhaps he should have listened—

…

…

“Young master, the food is here—I also stole a jar of good wine from General Zhong—”

Little Mountain entered carrying a wooden tray excitedly, only to find Xie Yanlai lying motionless on the bed.

“Young master?” he called softly, placing the tray on the table and leaning forward to look.

The young man was already in deep sleep, his chest rising and falling slowly, and the paper package in his hand hanging off the bed was gradually slipping—

Little Mountain reached out just in time to catch it before it fell to the ground. He opened it to find several flattened pastries and shook his head sympathetically: “Look how hungry the young master was, eating such sorry-looking desserts—”

He tossed a piece into his mouth as he spoke.

“I’ve prepared fine wine and delicious food for the young master. I’ll eat these unworthy desserts myself.”

Little Mountain looked pleased with himself.

“I’m so thoughtful, next time when the young master selects troops, he’ll surely pick me, and I’ll be able to fight alongside him.”

…

…

By the time the borderlands were carpeted with green, the central plains had reached the peak of spring. Rounding a mountain ridge, one could see a peach orchard ahead, resembling five-colored clouds, splendidly brilliant.

Chu Zhao lifted her veil to gaze into the distance.

“Young lady, shall we go admire the flowers?” A-Le suggested, seeing how entranced she was.

Chu Zhao thought for a moment, then shook her head: “Better not, we need to keep moving.”

A-Le acknowledged with a nod: “Let’s hurry on our way. When we reach the capital, there will be many flowers to enjoy.”

Chu Zhao smiled and urged her horse forward, but after a short distance, they saw someone standing on the hillside by the road, in flowing blue robes, gazing at the peach orchard ahead.

Was he admiring the flowers?

Chu Zhao spurred her horse forward, and the person on the hillside turned around.

“Young lady,” his voice was clear, “the flowers are in perfect bloom. Why not stop and admire them?”

Chu Zhao reined in her horse and lifted her veil to look.

On the hillside stood a young man with features as delicate as warm jade.

“Third Young Master Xie!” A-Le exclaimed, “What a coincidence to meet you here!”

What coincidence? Chu Zhao couldn’t help but smile. Who could coincidentally meet Third Young Master Xie?

She dismounted and ran up the hillside.